Settlement reached for construction workers in Norway

19 April 2016 12:09

The Norwegian union Fellesforbundet has settled an agreement in the
national collective bargaining negotiations for the construction sector.

”We congratulate our Norwegian friends for this agreement that will
bring higher wages for construction workers in the country and contains
important steps to stop social dumping,” said Ambet Yuson, general
secretary of the BWI.

The agreement will increase the minimum wage rate by 3.1 percent and
bring the overall wage increase to 2.4 percent. The union and the
employers association also agreed on a number of measures to prevent
social dumping, such as stronger regulations on the expenses for travel,
board and lodging.

To improve the pension system was also a central demand by the
unions who had wanted to make pension benefits part of the collective
bargaining agreement, with accumulation starting from the first day on
the job, which the employers strongly resisted. Both unions and
employers finally settled and the government have agreed to examine
possible changes to the pension legislation, including improved
benefits.